Selling a House in Foreclosure in Missouri
Yes, but Missouri moves fast, so start now. Most Missouri homes are financed with a deed of trust that lets a trustee foreclose without a lawsuit. Once the process starts, the trustee has to mail notice at least 20 days before the sale and advertise it in the paper, then auction the house. There's only a narrow right to redeem afterward, and only if the lender itself buys the house and you give notice and post a bond. A deficiency judgment is allowed. A sale you control, closed before the trustee's sale, is usually the best way to keep your equity.
Reviewed by Dennis Fassett, founder of Dennis Buys Houses · Updated November 2026
For Missouri homeowners behind on the mortgage, including St. Louis City and St. Louis County. General information, not legal advice. Call a Missouri foreclosure attorney or HUD-approved counselor right away.
Missouri's Trustee Sale
- 1Default and breach letter
Many deeds of trust require one before the loan is accelerated.
- 2Federal waiting period
Generally more than 120 days of delinquency before the foreclosure starts.
- 3Notice
Mailed at least 20 days before the sale, plus newspaper publication. (RSMo § 443.325)
- 4Trustee's sale
A public auction, with the lender usually bidding.
- 5Eviction if needed
The buyer can file an unlawful detainer case if you stay.
Once a Missouri foreclosure is noticed, the sale can be about a month away. That's the single most important fact in this guide.
What You Can Do Before the Sale
- ReinstateMissouri law doesn't guarantee it, but many deeds of trust allow it. Ask in writing.
- ModifyA complete application, early, matters.
- SellThe loan is paid at closing and your equity is yours.
- Short saleThe lender agrees to take less.
- Deed in lieuHand the house back, with a written deficiency waiver.
- BankruptcyThe automatic stay stops the sale for now.
Free help: CFPB – Find a Housing Counselor.
Want a Number to Compare Against?
Tell me the sale date and a little about the house. I'll compare an as-is price to your payoff and give you my honest take on reinstating or listing instead.
The Narrow Redemption Right
If the lender buys the house at the trustee's sale, the owner may get one year to redeem, but only if they gave written notice of intent to redeem at the sale or within 10 days before it, and meet a bond requirement. (RSMo § 443.410) If a third party buys the house, there's no redemption at all. In practice, most owners can't use it.
Treat the trustee's sale date as the end of the road. A private sale needs to close before it.
Deficiency Judgments Are Allowed
Missouri lets a lender pursue a deficiency judgment after a nonjudicial foreclosure if the sale doesn't cover the debt. (RSMo § 443.240) Courts rarely throw out a sale for a low price. Short sales and deeds in lieu should include a written waiver.
If the Sale Brings More
If a third-party buyer pays more than the debt, costs and other liens, the excess belongs to you. Ask the trustee in writing how it's being handled.
Work Out the Numbers
Add up the payoff, interest, late fees, the trustee's and attorney's fees, any second mortgage and unpaid taxes. Compare that to what the house would sell for now. If you're ahead, the auction puts it at risk.
List It or Sell As-Is?
With equity and a house that shows well, a listing can bring more, but in Missouri the timeline is often too short for a financed buyer. Tell any agent the sale date immediately.
When the trustee's sale is weeks away or the house needs work, an as-is sale can close in time. Selling as-is to a real estate investor strips out most of the work: there are no showings to prep for, no repair bids to collect, no truckloads to the dump, and the closing lands when you want it to. Dennis Buys Houses doesn't make you clean out. Take what you want to keep and leave the rest behind; we'll take it from there. If we come across anything personal or valuable, we'll make sure you get it.
Taxes and Estates
Unpaid property taxes follow a separate process with its own sale. (See Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Missouri.) If the borrower has died, someone has to have authority before a sale. (See How to Sell a House in Probate in Missouri.)
Rescue Schemes
Be wary of upfront fees, anyone telling you to stop talking to your lender, deals where you sign over the deed and "rent it back," and anyone wanting a cut of your surplus.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Waiting for a court date that never comes.
- Ignoring the 20-day sale notice.
- Counting on a redemption right you can't use.
- Signing a deed in lieu without a deficiency waiver.
- Listing too late to close in time.
- Working from a verbal payoff number.
Where I Fit, and Where I Don't
Missouri homeowners call me when the trustee's sale is close, the house needs work, they've already moved out, or they need a closing that won't fall apart.
Also, there's no need to empty the house for Dennis Buys Houses. Anything you leave, we take care of.
If you can reinstate, get a modification, or list a market-ready house in time, that's likely better, and I'll tell you so.
However it shakes out, I'll tell you upfront if I'm a good fit or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if the sale closes before the trustee's sale and pays off the loan, or the lender approves a short sale.
Fast. Once the sale is noticed, it can be about a month away.
Only a narrow one: one year if the lender buys and you gave notice and met the bond requirement.
Not for an as-is sale. Pack what you care about; Dennis Buys Houses handles what's left.
Yes. Missouri allows deficiency judgments after a trustee's sale.
After the debt, costs and other liens, the former owner.
Start with CFPB – Find a Housing Counselor. Key statutes: RSMo § 443.325 (notice), RSMo § 443.410 (redemption) and RSMo § 443.240 (deficiency).
Missouri Selling Guides
- How to Sell a House in Probate in Missouri
- Selling an Inherited House in Missouri
- Selling a Vacant House in Missouri
- Selling a House With Bad Tenants in Missouri
- Selling a House With Delinquent Property Taxes in Missouri
Is a Trustee's Sale Coming Up?
Send me the sale date, the payoff and the condition of the house. I'll walk you through the options and put a firm as-is number on the table if selling fits.